目 录 上一节 下一节 
“鸦片酊终于起作用了，”姑娘从床边站起来，喃喃地说。“现在，我也许已经赶不上了。” She hastily dressed herself in her bonnet and shawl: looking fearfully round, from time to time, as if, despite the sleeping draught, she expected every moment to feel the pressure of Sikes's heavy hand upon her shoulder; then, stooping softly over the bed, she kissed the robber's lips; and then opening and closing the room-door with noiseless touch, hurried from the house. 她急急忙忙戴上软帽，系好披巾，一再战战兢兢地回头望望，生怕安眠药起不了作用，赛克斯的大手随时都可能搁到自己的肩上。接着她轻轻俯下身来，吻了吻那强盗的嘴唇，无声无息地把房门打开又关上，匆匆离开了这所房子。 A watchman was crying half-past nine, down a dark passage through which she had to pass, in gaining the main thoroughfare. 她必须经过一条小巷才能走上大街，在黑洞洞的巷子里，一个更夫吆喝着九点半了。 'Has it long gone the half-hour?' asked the girl. “早就过了半点了？”姑娘问道。 'It'll strike the hour in another quarter,' said the man: raising his lantern to her face. “再过一刻钟就敲十点。”那人把提灯举到她的面前，说道。 
“不花上一个多钟头我是到不了那儿了。”南希低声说了一句，飞快地从他身边跑过去，转眼间已经到了街上。 Many of the shops were already closing in the back lanes and avenues through which she tracked her way, in making from Spitalfields towards the West-End of London. The clock struck ten, increasing her impatience. She tore along the narrow pavement: elbowing the passengers from side to side; and darting almost under the horses' heads, crossed crowded streets, where clusters of persons were eagerly watching their opportunity to do the like. 她从斯皮达菲直奔伦敦西区，沿途经过一条又一条偏僻小街，街上的许多店铺已经开始关门。钟敲十点，她越发焦躁难耐。她沿着狭窄的便道飞奔而去，胳膊肘撞得行人东倒西歪，穿过几条拥挤的街道时，她几乎是从马头下边冲过去，一群群的人正在那里焦急地等着马车过去以后再走。 'The woman is mad!' said the people, turning to look after her as she rushed away.When she reached the more wealthy quarter of the town, the streets were comparatively deserted; and here her headlong progress excited a still greater curiosity in the stragglers whom she hurried past. Some quickened their pace behind, as though to see whither she was hastening at such an unusual rate; and a few made head upon her, and looked back, surprised at her undiminished speed; but they fell off one by one; and when she neared her place of destination, she was alone. “这女人发疯了。”她一冲过去，人们纷纷回过头来望一望。一进入伦敦城的几个比较富有的区域，街道就不那么拥挤了。她横冲直撞，从零零星星的行人身边匆匆赶过，大大激起了人们的好奇心。有几个在后边加快了脚步，仿佛想知道她以这样一种非同寻常的速度是奔什么地方去，还有几个人跑到她前边，回头看看，不禁对她这种毫不减慢的速度感到吃惊，但他们一个接一个全都落在了后面，当她接近目的地的时候，已经只剩她一个人。 It was a family hotel in a quiet but handsome street near Hyde Park. As the brilliant light of the lamp which burnt before its door, guided her to the spot, the clock struck eleven. She had loitered for a few paces as though irresolute, and making up her mind to advance; but the sound determined her, and she stepped into the hall. The porter's seat was vacant. She looked round with an air of incertitude, and advanced towards the stairs. 那是一处家庭旅馆，坐落在海德公园附近一条幽静而又漂亮的街上。旅馆门前点着一盏灯，耀眼的灯光引导着她来到这个地点。这时，钟敲了十一点。她磨磨蹭蹭地走了几步，像是有些踌踌不定，又打定主意走上前去似的。钟声使她下定了决心，她走进门厅。门房的座位上空无一人。她面带难色地看了看四周，接着朝楼梯走去。 'Now, young woman!' said a smartly-dressed female, looking out from a door behind her, 'who do you want here?' “喂，小姐！”一个衣着华丽的女人从她身后一道门里往外张望着，说道。“你上这儿找谁呀？” 
“找一位住在这里的小姐。”姑娘回答。 'A lady!' was the reply, accompanied with a scornful look. 'What lady?' “一位小姐？”伴随着回答而来的是一道嘲笑的眼色。“哪儿来什么小姐？” 'Miss Maylie,' said Nancy. “梅莱小姐。”南希说。 The young woman, who had by this time, noted her appearance, replied only by a look of virtuous disdain; and summoned a man to answer her. To him, Nancy repeated her request. 少妇直到这个时候才注意到南希的模样，不由得鄙弃地瞥了她一眼，叫了一个男侍者来招呼她。南希将自己的请求说了一遍。 'What name am I to say?' asked the waiter. “我该怎样称呼呢？”侍者问。 
“怎么称呼都没关系。”南希回答。 'Nor business?' said the man. “也不用说是什么事？”侍者说。 'No, nor that neither,' rejoined the girl. 'I must see the lady.' “是的，也不用说，”姑娘答道，“我必须见见这位小姐。” 'Come!' said the man, pushing her towards the door. 'None of this. Take yourself off.' “得了吧。”侍者说着，便将她朝门外推。“没有这样的事。出去出去。” 'I shall be carried out if I go!' said the girl violently; 'and I can make that a job that two of you won't like to do. Isn't there anybody here,' she said, looking round, 'that will see a simple message carried for a poor wretch like me?' “除非你们把我抬出去。”南希不顾一切地说，“而且我会叫你们两个人吃不了兜着走。有没有人，”她看了看四周，说道，“愿意为像我这样的可怜人捎个口信？” 
这一番恳求打动了一个面慈心善的厨子，他正和另外几个侍者在一旁观望，便上前排难解纷。 'Take it up for her, Joe; can't you?' said this person. “你替她传上去不就行了，乔依？”厨子说道。 'What's the good?' replied the man. 'You don't suppose the young lady will see such as her; do you?' “这有什么用？”侍者回答，“你该不会认为小姐愿意见她这号人吧，唔？” This allusion to Nancy's doubtful character, raised a vast quantity of chaste wrath in the bosoms of four housemaids, who remarked, with great fervour, that the creature was a disgrace to her sex; and strongly advocated her being thrown, ruthlessly, into the kennel. 这句话暗示南希身份可疑，四个女仆贞洁的胸中激起了极大的义愤，几个人慷慨激昂，宣称这娘们给所有的女性丢脸，极力主张将她毫不客气地扔到阴沟里去。 'Do what you like with me,' said the girl, turning to the men again; 'but do what I ask you first, and I ask you to give this message for God Almighty's sake.' “你们爱把我怎么样就怎么样，”姑娘说着，再一次朝几位男士转过头去。“只要先答应我的请求，求你们看在万能的上帝分上，捎个信上去。” 
软心肠的厨子又作了一番调解，结果还是最早露面的那个待者答应为她通报。 'What's it to be?' said the man, with one foot on the stairs. “怎么说呢？”他一只脚踏在楼梯上说道。 'That a young woman earnestly asks to speak to Miss Maylie alone,' said Nancy; 'and that if the lady will only hear the first word she has to say, she will know whether to hear her business, or to have her turned out of doors as an impostor.' “就说，有个年轻女人真心实意地请求跟梅莱小姐单独谈谈，”南希道，“你就说，小姐只要听听她非说不可的头一句话，就会明白是听她往下说，还是把她当成骗子赶出门去。” 'I say,' said the man, 'you're coming it strong!' “我说，”那男子说，“你还真有办法。” 'You give the message,' said the girl firmly; 'and let me hear the answer.' “你去通报吧，”南希果断地说，“我要听回音。” 
侍者快步上楼去了。南希站在原地，她脸色惨白，气急败坏，听着几个贞洁的侍女冷言冷语地大声议论，她气得嘴唇直哆嗦。那几个传女在这方面很有些本事，男持者回来了，叫她上楼去，这时她们越发显出本事来。 'It's no good being proper in this world,' said the first housemaid. “这个世道，规矩人真是做不得。”第一个侍女说道。 'Brass can do better than the gold what has stood the fire,' said the second. “破铜烂铁也比用火炼过的金子值钱。”第二位说。 The third contented herself with wondering 'what ladies was made of'; and the fourth took the first in a quartette of 'Shameful!' with which the Dianas concluded. 第三个尽顾了感叹：“有身份的女士是些什么东西。”第四位用一句“丢人现眼”为一首四重唱开了个头，这几位守身如玉的狄安娜女神又用同一句话作为结尾。 Regardless of all this: for she had weightier matters at heart: Nancy followed the man, with trembling limbs, to a small ante-chamber, lighted by a lamp from the ceiling. Here he left her, and retired. 南希没理会她们那一套，因为她心里还装着更要紧的事，她浑身发抖，跟在男侍者身后，走进一间天花板上点着一盏吊灯的小会客室。侍者将她领到这里，就退了出去。
| 
